Tuesday, April 19, 2016

This is a great topping for beef, chicken, even burgers. It's just a great sauce.
One review said, "it is a perfect complement to the beef tenderloin seared in butter. We have this with button mushrooms, twice baked potatoes and walnut cranberry baby greens salad."
Another review said, "I liked the idea of using half and half instead of heavy cream, so I did that. I was a bit worried about the sauce in general, because after about 30 minutes of boiling, the half and half did not seem to thicken up. I just threw the cheese in at that point, and it thickened up immediately."
Also, you cut down the recipe for just 2 people and that works just fine.

Ingredients

4 cups heavy cream3 to 4 ounces crumbly Gorgonzola (not creamy or "dolce")3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan3/4 teaspoon kosher salt3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper3 tablespoons minced fresh parsleyDirectionsBring the heavy cream to a full boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then continue to boil rapidly for 45 to 50 minutes, until thickened like a white sauce, stirring occasionally.Off the heat, add the Gorgonzola, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley. Whisk rapidly until the cheeses melt and serve warm. If you must reheat, warm the sauce over low heat until melted, then whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

It's a very cloudy, damp morning and I'm wondering, what to do.
My first thought is baking.
I love the sound of the rain and I'm happy to stay in and cook today.
If you have blueberries, fresh or in the freezer, you probably have everything you need for some delicious blueberry muffins. (I always have yogurt in my fridge also.)

1 Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

3 In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the grated lemon peel.

4 Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat. Fold in the berries. If you are using frozen berries, defrost them first, drain the excess liquid, and then coat them in a light dusting of flour.

5 Use standard 12-muffin muffin tins. Coat each muffin cup lightly with olive oil or grapeseed oil using a pastry brush, or with a little butter. Or use one of those convenient vegetable oil sprays. Distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick to make sure the centers of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and serve slightly warm.

In a large sauté pan or frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion and leek; cook until fragrant. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add ground sirloin and sauté until brown. Add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and chili powder to taste. Add the Chile pepper and 1/2 can Enchilada Sauce; stir mixture well. Turn heat to medium low and gently simmer until the meat has absorbed all the sauce.

Prepare Refried Bean Mixture.

When ready to serve, heat the flour tortillas in the microwave for 1 minute. Spread each warm tortilla with some prepared Refried Bean Mixture and then some prepared Beef Mixture. Roll the prepared tortillas up enchilada style and place on microwave-safe serving dish.

Drizzle remaining 1/2 can Enchilada Sauce over the top and sprinkle with the grated cheddar cheese. Microwave until cheese is melted and the burritos are hot. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, and more Enchilada Sauce, if desired.